Courtier to convince the honour of my mistress; if in the holding or lofs of that, you term her frail. I do nothing doubt, you have ftore of thieves, notwith ftanding I fear not my ring.

Phil. Let us leave here, Gentlemen.

Poft. Sir, with all my heart. This worthy Signior, I thank him, makes no stranger of me; we are familiar at firft.

Tach. With five times fo much converfation, I fhould get ground of your fair Miftrefs, make her go back, even to the yielding, had I admittance, and opportunity to friend.

Poft. No, no.

Iach. I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my estate to your ring, which, in my opinion, o'er-values it fomething. But I make my wager rather against your confidence than her reputation, and to bar your offence herein too, I durft attempt it against any Lady in the world.

Poft. You are a great deal abus'd in too bold a perfuafion, and, I doubt not, you'd fuftain what you're worthy of, by your attempt.

lach. What's that?

Poft. A rèpulle; though your attempt, as you call it, deferves more; a punishment too.

Phil. Gentlemen, enough of this; it came in too fuddenly, let it die as it was born; and I pray you, be better acquainted.

Iach. "Would, I had put my eftate and my neighbour's, on th' approbation of what I have spoke. Poft. What Lady would you chufe to affail?

Iach. Yours; who in conftancy, you think, ftands. fo fafe. I will lay you ten thousand ducats to your

ring, that, commend me to the Court where your Lady is, with no more advantage than the opportunity of a fecond conference, I will bring from thence that honour of hers, which you imagine fo referv'd.

Poft. I will wage against your gold, gold to it: my ring I hold dear as my finger, 'tis part of it.

Jach. You are a friend, and therein the wifer; if you buy ladies' flesh at a million a dram, you cannot preferve it from tainting. But, I fee, you have some Religion in you, that you fear.

Poft. This is but a cuftom in your tongue; you bear a graver purpose, I hope.

Iach. I am the mafter of my Speeches, and would undergo what's spoken, I swear.

Poft. Will you? I fhall but lend my diamond 'till your Return; let there be covenants drawn between us. My Mistress exceeds in goodness the hugeness of your unworthy thinking. I dare you to this match; here's my ring.

2 If I bring you no

Phil. I will have it no Lay. Iach. By the Gods it is one. fufficient teftimony that I have enjoy'd the dearest bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours, fo is your diamond too; if I come off, and leave

fach. You are a friend, and therein the wifer;] I correct it, You are afraid, and therein the wifer.

What lachimo fays, in the clofe of his fpeech, determines this to have been our Poet's reading. But, I fee, you have fome Religion in you, that you fear.

WARBURTON. Friend will bear a proper sense. You are a friend to the Lady, and therein the wifer, as you will not expose her to hazard; and that you fear, is a proof of your re

ligious fidelity.

2 lach. If I bring you No fufficient teflimony that I have enjoy'd the dearest bodily part of your miftrefs, my ten thousand ducats are YOURS; fo is your diamond teo; if I come off, and leave her in fuch honour as you have truft in, he your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours, &c.

Poft. I embrace thefe conditions, &c.] This was a wager between the two speakers. Tachimo de clares the conditions of it; and Pofthumus embraces them: as well

he

leave her in fuch honour as you have truft in, fhe your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours; provided, I have your commendation, for my more free entertainment.

Poft. I embrace thefe conditions; let us have articles betwixt us; only, thus far you fhall answer. If you make your voyage upon her, and give me directly to understand you have prevail'd, I am no further your enemy, fhe is not worth our debate; if fhe remain. unfeduc'd, you not making it appear otherwife, for your ill opinion, and th' affault you have made to her chastity, you fhall anfwer me with your fword.

Iach. Your hand, a covenant. We will have these things fent down by lawful counfel, and ftraight away for Britain; left the bargain fhould catch cold, and ftarve. I will fetch my gold, and have our two wagers recorded.

Pft. Agreed.

[Exeunt Pofthumus and Iachimo.

French. Will this hold, think you?
Phil. Signior Iachime will not from it.

Pray let us follow 'em.

he might; for Iachimo mentions
only that of the two conditions,
which was favourable to Pofthu-
mus, namely, that if his wife pre-
ferved her honour he fhould win :
concerning the other, in ce fhe
preferved it not, Iachimo, the ac-
curate expounder of the wager,
is filent. To make him talk more
in character, for we find him fharp
enough in the profecution of his
bet, we should trike out the ne-
gative, and read the reft thus, If
I bring you fuffici nt teftimony that
I bave enjoy'd, &c. my ten thousand
ducats are MINE; fis
is your

r.dia

[Exeunt.

mond too. If I come off, and leave her in fich honour, &c. fhe your j wel, &c and my gold are yours.

WARBURTON.

I once thought this emendation right, but am now of opinion, that Shakespeare intended that lachimo, having gained his purpofe, fhould defignedly drop the invidious and offenfive part of the wager, and to fatter Pofthumus, dwell long upon the more pleaf. ing part of the reprefentation. One condition of a wager implies the other, and there is no need

to mention both.

SCENE

VII.

Changes to Cymbeline's Palace in Britain.

Enter Queen, Ladies, and Cornelius with a Phial.

Now, mafter Doctor, you have brought thofe drugs? Cor. Pleafeth your Highness, ay; here they are, Madam.

But I beseech your Grace, without offence,

My conscience bids me afk, wherefore you have
Commanded of me these most pois'nous compounds
Which are the movers of a languishing death;
But, though flow, deadly.

Queen. I wonder, Doctor,

Thou afk'it me fuch a question; have I not been
Thy pupil long? haft thou not learn'd me how
To make perfumes? diftil? preferve? yea, fo,
That our great King himfelf doth woo me oft
For my confections? having thus far proceeded,
Unless thou think'ft me dev'lifh, is't not meet
That I did amplify my judgment in

3 Other conclufions? I will try the forces
Of these thy compounds on fuch creatures as
We count not worth the hanging, but none human,
To try the vigour of them, and apply

Allayments to their act; and by them gather
Their fev'ral virtues and effects.

3 Other conclufions?-] Other ton, an angler that tries concluaxperiments. I commend, fays Wal- fions, and improves his art.

Cor.

Cor.

Your Highness

Shall from this practice but make hard your heart;
Befides, the feeing thefe effects will be
Both noisome and infectious.

Queen. O, content thee.

Enter Pifanio.

Here comes a flatt'ring rafcal, upon him
Will I first work; he's for his master,

And enemy to my fon. How now, Pifanio?

-Doctor, your fervice for this time is ended;

Take your own way.

Cor. I do fufpect you, Madam;

But you fhall do no harm.

Queen. Hark thee, a word.

[Afide.

[Afide.

[To Pifanio.

Cor. [Solus] I do not like her. She doth think,

fhe has

Strange ling'ring poifons; I do know her fpirit,
And will not truft one of her malice with

A drug of fuch damn'd nature. Thofe, fhe has,
Will ftupify and dull the fenfe a while;

Which firft, perchance, fhe'll prove on cats and dogs,
Then afterwards up higher; but there is

No danger in what fhew of death it makes,

4 Your Highness

Shall from this pra& ce but

make hard your heart;] There is in this paffage nothing that much requires a note, yet I cannot forbear to push it forward into obfervation. The thought would probably have been more amplified, had our authour lived to be fhocked with fuch experiments as have been published in later times, by a race of men that have practifed tortures without pity, and related them without

fbame, and are yet fuffered to erect their heads among human beings.

Cape faxa manu, cape robora, paftor.

5 I do not like her.-] This foliloquy is very inartificial. The fpeaker is under no strong pref fure of thought; he is neither refolving, repenting, fufpecting, nor deliberating, and yet makes a long fpeech, to tell himself what himielf knows.

T 4

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